New home for University of Texas at Austin’s business school breaks ground

Groundbreaking for the new home of The University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business took place in April. The new 17-story, 400,000 sf tower, sited next to the Robert B. Rowling Hall graduate business building and the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center, will complete a ‘business neighborhood’ on campus.

Mulva Hall will shape the skyline of Austin, offering views of the beloved UT Tower, the campus’ original Forty Acres, and the Texas State Capitol. The new building will transform how people connect at the McCombs School of Business. The existing undergraduate business program is now spread across three outdated 1970s buildings with faculty disconnected from students.

Mulva Hall will gather undergraduates, PhD students, academic departments, research centers, faculty offices, and the school’s administration under one roof.

The design emphasizes porosity, transparency, connectivity, and wellness to capture and stimulate the youthful energy of an undergraduate education building. With prominent entrances on three sides, the permeable ground floor will be a vibrant, light-filled exchange, seamlessly linking the new building to the campus and city, fostering greater community engagement. The ground floor is flanked by a cafe, large learning auditorium, and generous plazas at each entrance that enhance connectivity while extending the commons to the outdoors.

The interior will include the Forum, a flat multipurpose venue that will host events and conferences. A fourth-floor student terrace will provide sweeping views of the campus and Austin skyline.

Mulva Hall is slated for completion in 2028.

On the project team: 
Owner and/or developer: The University of Texas
Design architect: Perkins&Will
Architect of record: Perkins&Will
MEP engineer: Gonzalez Shah Smith, Inc.
Structural engineer: Datum Rios, LLC
General contractor/construction manager: Austin Commercial, Garrett Walters